Kunal Kapoor: My wife and I enjoy having a life outside the movies

Kunal Kapoor has done it all, worked as an AD, delivered Bollywood hits, experimented with South cinema and finally debuted on OTT, too. Thanks to his latest period drama, tides have changed and Kunal is flooded with offers. But that’s not all, 2021 is a special year for the ‘Rang De Basanti’ star as he is also getting behind the camera for a short film and will be producing multiple Bollywood projects. In an exclusive interaction with ETimes, Kunal Kapoor opened up about his journey in films, his personal life and his ambitious production plans.

Pic: Instagram

Kunal Kapoor became an overnight sensation with ‘Rang De Basanti’ and the film’s popularity catapulted his career to great heights. Ask him one good memory from his journey and he reminisces, “There have been many good things, but when ‘Rang De Basanti’ happened, I remember during this one theatre visit when a particular person read out a letter from his sister who was in the states. That letter said, ‘I am a doctor and after watching your movie I want to come back to India because the RDB dialogue ‘kuch badalna hai toh khud ko badalna hoga’ really affected me’. And that made me realise the power of art and the possibility of what happens when it goes right.”

When asked to point out any unpleasant experience, the actor quips, “As far as bad goes, there have been so many instances where, I don't want to get into specifics, but, you know, you sign a film and you think it's going to turn out in a certain way. And, sometimes it doesn't, you know that it's not turned out right when you're watching the preview. That gives you a sinking feeling. Sometimes a good script doesn't translate into a good film and that can be very disappointing.”

Pic: Instagram

Did you know Kunal Kapoor was all set to play a superhero onscreen? But despite massive prep, things went south. He reveals, “What I most regret are two films which were supposed to go on floors and did not. It was around 2007-08 when this happened. One was a superhero film called ‘Doga’, which was supposed to be directed by Anurag Kashyap and then there was another film titled ‘Chamkila’ which was based on the life of this Punjabi singer. And for different reasons both of them didn’t happen, I was really looking forward to them. One was based on a very popular comic book and the other was about this iconic Punjabi singer. So I think those are parts that I wish had happened because they were like really, really varied parts.”

Pic: Instagram

At a time when Bollywood celebrities go all out to share their personal lives on social media, Kunal Kapoor prefers not to play it up. Ask him if he is guarded about his personal life and the actor shares, “Well, I'm not really guarded but something that I've never really gotten down to talking about is my personal life and I enjoy keeping it that way. I enjoy keeping a part of myself just for me and my close ones. I think, both me and my wife, are very private people and we enjoy our personal space and having a life outside the movies as well. So I think maybe that’s why… but it is not intentional, it's not something that we have planned.”

Pic: Instagram

Summing up his time in front of the camera, Kunal expresses displeasure for the lack of opportunities. He says, “Honestly, I would like to do a lot more work. People keep telling me that why don't we see you more? And, honestly I love being on the set, I love being an actor. That's the thing that makes me most happy. I would have done more work, but the work that I’m looking for is not coming my way. I don't want to work for the sake of it. So, it's a bit of a tricky situation, but if I had a choice, I would definitely have done a lot more.”

Pic: Instagram

Kunal Kapoor is not just winning hearts on OTT but is also a proud and busy filmmaker. Revealing his direction and production plans, the actor excitedly shares, “I would love to direct and it’s something I've been wanting to do for a while. And finally this year, I am getting down to doing it with a short story. At the end of the day, I enjoy storytelling and I want to express myself creatively, whether it is as an actor, writer, producer, or director. As for my production house, we are scripting four different films right now. Two of them are complete and for one of them I'm partnering with somebody, details of which will be announced soon. I'm very excited to be a producer because as an actor, you are a part of somebody else's vision, whether it's a filmmaker or a director, but as a producer, you have a chance to sort of bring your own vision forward. I'm really looking forward to this journey.”

Pic: Instagram